Closing the Feast!

Wow!

We've come to the close of the January Juice Feast! Today was the infamous "prune day," the day when solid foods begin to slowly come back in after an extended time of juicing. For more information on closing your Feast, be sure to check out Breaking The Juice Feast!

And, for a little inspiration, here is my favorite Feast Breaking video:

After her epic 92 Juice Feast in 2007, the beautiful Angela Stokes-Monarch shared her first prune and inspired many to embark on Juice Feasts of their own. Here she discusses her Juice Feast, just prior to breaking the feast with her first meal in three months... Recorded live on Feb 20th, 2007.



Read more about Angela's juicing and raw journey at http://rawreform.blogspot.com

Congratulations to all who joined in on the January Juice Feast, may your adventures continue with blessings!

All love,
Katrina Rainoshek

Wednesday Thoughts From Kyra and Baby Smoothies

I enjoyed this beautiful passage today, borrowed from the pages of The Green Room (our membership forum) :

January Juice Feast. Day #6

"Yesterday I was very much enjoying and deeply appreciating the arrival of the longed-for sensation of peace and relaxation that Juice Feasting brings ... one of its greatest gifts. I've done many Juice Feasts, some long, many short, and this is the first time I am consistently incorporating an easy and effortless daily meditation and deep breathing, and what a difference this makes. It is a boost into the stratosphere of feeling wonderfully empowered about life, bringing a peaceful feeling that anything and everything one desires can be manifested via focused attention and allowing. I love how Juice Feasting facilitates new thoughts, sweeping away the limitations of yesterday, and building a momentum of positivity that grows day by day."

~Kyra

Beautifully in line with what we hope for all those Juice Feasting: an awakening into possibility and a loving boost in personal growth!

And, just for fun, some smoothie pictures with the little one!

Snowdrop and smoothie and little one dancing, waiting for her lunch.Serious smoothie drinking. She drank down all 8oz of this one, it is a keeper! (Apple, spinach, blueberry, and banana.)
The smile she gave me when I said "smile for the camera!"

Enjoy your moments!

All love and light,
Katrina Rainoshek

An Afternoon at Bliss.

My days have been full....of family! I am thriving on living with the impromptu community that has assembled in this old family house. Currently under one roof: six adults, a 12 year old, and a 1 1/2 year old.

To add to that, 3 of the adults are men working from home, and 2 of the adults are moms with kids/babies at home. Very busy house!

We are all in transition, between phases, on the move, and we have all come to rest temporarily together. Believe it or not, it is working out beautifully.

AND, one of the adults living in this old house right now is my beautiful sister of Cafe Bliss! The cafe has been a popular destination for all of us, a good home away from home when a little more space is needed.

And hey, it doesn't hurt that we get served the best food ever! A few photos from a recent afternoon at Bliss:

Chai tea with almond mylk, banana coconut pie, and chocolate orange pie. All raw, all vegan, all YUM!

Sister time for me, auntie time for Sophia.

And one last one, for all of you Juice Feasters:
David with a Pure Green (celery, cucumber, and kale), me with a Green Gingerale (apple, celery, spinach, lemon, and ginger), Sophia with a Finnerty Island Smoothie (apple, banana, blueberry and lime.)

Enjoy your Juice!

With peaceful steps,

Katrina Rainoshek
www.JuiceFeasting.com

Body/Mind and the Gift of Connection.

Jump for Joy!

The January Juice Feast is now well under way!

It is always an exciting time in our lives when David is engaged in coaching a group Juice Feast, and it goes with out saying that growth and transformation never get boring to be around! I'm a sucker for a good Juice Feasting story, and I get to hear lots of them when there is a Feast going on.

While David treats his client's privacy with great respect, I have the honor and joy of sharing in some of the most amazing stories of personal development with him at the end of each day. We both share so much reverence for people's never ending journeys towards self actualization. It seems at times that there is so much to overcome and yet people persevere and move above and beyond even the most debilitating illness, hurt, loss, and trauma.

You are all superstars, every single one of you!

Something that comes up again and again for people who Juice Feast is a much deeper awareness of the body/mind connection. When you take the junk (food) out of your body, the mind really does become strong and clear. Life is much easier to navigate and more readily enjoyed with a mind that is strong and clear! Once this is an awareness that you have cultivated, it becomes much easier as well to choose to put the foods in your body that help to build a mind worth living with!

To keep the body in good health is a duty... otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear. ~Buddha

I loved this email, which exemplifies the mind/body connection beautifully, from one of David's students. (Used here with permission):

"An observation: When I was out shopping for a few things for my family, I had a very different experience in the grocery store. I noticed faces more, or well, in a different way. I often notice faces...details of faces. I seemed more connected to the people who had those faces. More connected to their conversations. Last night when I was holding a bell pepper in my hands and was about to tear it apart for my juice prep, I was slightly saddened to be tearing it apart...like it was a being, and had its own being-ness. I thanked it, and was just struck by this never-before felt connection with a bell pepper. Yesterday I was looking at the dashboard of my car and noticing many details of how the designers made elements smoothly transition together, how the door lock-unlock tab looked smooth and well balanced (design-wise) when it was locked and unlocked.

Hey, if this cleansing feast allows me access to these things, and if I can learn how to access these states...awesome! It's worth my whole life just in the knowing how to connect.

And one more observation: While at the grocery store I noticed that I was able to easily slip into a quiet-mind place. Just naturally able to be there, taking in the colors of the labels of soups stacked on the shelves -- could focus in to view more specifics or adjust out to partake of the mosaic rainbow. I could have a quiet mind and walk and watch/listen ... and it was quite delightful!

Have a great night! Look forward to whatever shows up between now and our chat. I really do appreciate your guided mentoring of this process. Thank you!"

~Rees Maxwell

Founder and Lead Instructor: Whole Earth Nature School
http://WholeEarthNatureSchool.com

Founder and Lead Instructor: Dancing Sol - Early Childhood Nature Education Program

http://www.DancingSol.com

Love it! Thank you for sharing Rees, many blessings for your beautiful journey!

Have a Beautiful Day!

All love,

Katrina Rainoshek
www.JuiceFeasting.com

January Juice Feast.

Hello Dear Webworld Friends!

We are all tucked in for winter, and David is gearing up to coach yet another exciting group of people on their own Hero's Journey.

His most recent client just finished months of one-on-one coaching, and I thought you might like to hear about her experience first-hand (and there is an upcoming coached Juice Feast in two weeks!) Here is her experience in her own words:

"August 2010, I signed up for a 30 day coached juice feast with David Rainoshek. To be honest, I had no idea what I was getting myself into but my original intent was to nourish my body, lose a few pounds, get my blood pressure and cholesterol in check and balance my life – everything in my life was out of balance, I needed help. I'm a wife, a Mom to 2 small boys, employed in the high tech industry - I was wiped out and checking out of my life.

The first 30 days, I felt like a sleeping child whose Mom gently woke them up every morning – David prodded me - get up, it's time to wake up. Wake up? Where are we going today? I’m tired, I’m really tired. Wake up! Where do you need to go? Somewhere else. I was overwhelmed and eager to learn and do and change all at the same time. I learned how to meditate, big mind practice, bring my vitamin D level to normal, balance my intake and include essentials like fish oil, integral life practice, being mindful, read a few books, and started feeling my life again. Strangely enough, for the first 30 days when David & I skyped during our daily sessions, it was never about my juice, it was waking up my mind. And, wake up I did. I’ll add that I did lose a few pounds and my blood pressure and cholesterol are in the normal range – a good juice feast does wonders for nourishing and normalizing the body. But, my mind, oh my mind was going bonkers – I was thinking and being and living and smiling. David the entire time listened – sometimes I babbled, sometimes there was nothing to say, sometimes I just listened to David the coach giving me things to try, to experience, to do. I loved the fact David met with me every weekday– it allowed me to work on the challenges of day to day life.

I have to say that being coached wasn’t easy for me. During the process, I once wrote in my journal – David isn’t my friend, he is my coach. I’m glad he is brutal and honest, however I don’t like being coached anymore because it makes me feel ugly. I’m talking about and changing the things in my life that I don’t like about myself and that’s really uncomfortable. Instead, I’d just prefer to keep hiding. But…

For some reason my mind tells me to keep plowing ahead and even better things are going to happen in my life. David kept listening, offering guidance and I kept changing. David stays on as my coach for another 3 months. I quit the juice feast after 60 some odd days, I quit counting. During some conversation with David, he decides to tell me about somebody that died of smoking related causes. I drop the phone. It all resonates with me and a dagger is put into my back and twists so hard I am lost for a moment – yes, I smoke. I have smoked for 30 years. Quitting smoking wasn’t part of the coaching plan, or was it? It wasn’t. I’m mad, I’m angry, I confess that yes I’m cleansed from juicing but not cleansed from the toxins of cigarettes. Where do I go. David let me decide. I decide to quit smoking and David coached me through my journey.

I have to stop here and smile because as you read this you must know that I truly believe David invested some serious time into my life as my coach. We had a few extra talks on the weekend, he researched smoking, my ailments and detox symptoms, some of our scheduled 30 minute conversations went overtime, it was obvious the journey was more important than just being "a day job", he did more research, we laughed as my meditation brought on Harry Potter daggers into my forehead, he listened to me cry from physical withdrawal, also cry because I was so overwhelmed with happiness I couldn’t mutter any words, he offered more advice, gave more mindfulness practice, pushed me hard and 2 months later - I emerged. As a non-smoker!

I don’t know how to end what I’d like to pass on to anyone about coaching with David – perhaps I’ll just simply say – if you allow yourself to be coached, David might take you on a journey of discovery and change too –

I love my life,
M..."

If you are ready for this level of coaching, we look forward to hearing from you!

The January 2011 Juice Feast begins in two weeks! As I write this post, there are just three more spaces available in this amazing 30 Day Program! Here is the info:

January 2011 Juice Feast with David Rainoshek, MA

Have a dynamic, meaningful final few weeks as we move into the New Year.

All Love,

David, Katrina, and Sophia

Summer 2010 Juice Feast!

Hello Dear Friends!

Summer is here in full strength! Have you been cooling yourself with fresh juices? (I have a great Cooling Summer Juice Recipe at the bottom of this blog for you!)

Katrina and I have been on a very remote part of a remote island off the coast of British Columbia, climbing mountains to get internet access... and we are finally hooked up.

And there is a private Juice Feast coming up! Here is the info:

ONE-ON-ONE COACHED JUICE FEAST WITH DAVID RAINOSHEK, MA
**NOTE: David will be coaching no more than 8 people (to ensure a deep coaching and group experience), so early registration is important to hold your space, and to set up a Initial Consultation. This is not a Global Juice Feast, but an incredible opportunity to be coached personally by David Rainoshek in an extended 30-Day Juice Feast!

The 2010 Summer Juice Feast with David Rainoshek, MA as your personal, private coach, is a 30-Day Juice Feast beginning Friday, August 6th with the Feast-Closing Day on Sunday, September 5th. A guided Closing of the Juice Feast with David Rainoshek will be enjoyed September 5th and 6th, with a renewed entry into Raw/Living Plant-Based Foods and Superfoods on the 7th of September.

Once you have registered, you will receive a Juice Feasting Health Inventory and be scheduled for a one-on-one pre-Juice Feast Initial Consultation (2-3 hours) with David Rainoshek, MA, in which we will review your Health History, tailor your upcoming Juice Feast to your needs, and make sure you are ready, both materially and mentally for a significant, transformative Juice Feast.

Daily personal one-on-one coaching during the January Juice Feast will be held Monday through Friday, with Sunday Juice Group conversations. You will also be able to access group support in the online Summer 2010 Juice Feast site established just for January Juice Feasters, and be able to contact David Rainoshek, MA at any time during the Juice Feast for support.

Whether you are moving beyond Industrialized Nutrition, fine-tuning for the summer season (or fall/winter to come), orienting to plant-based foods, or wanting to better honor your life’s authenticity, David Rainoshek will personally orient you to a deeper understanding of nutrition and deep living during this 30-Day Juice Feast.

**NOTE: David will be coaching no more than 8 people (to ensure a deep coaching and group experience), so early registration is important to hold your space, and to set up a Initial Consultation.

BENEFITS

+ One-on-one personal daily coaching by David Rainoshek, MA Vegan Live Food Nutrition

+ Complimentary 1-Year Access to JuiceFeasting.com and Lifetime Access to The Green Room

+ Private networking site just for Summer 2010 Juice Feasters

+ Sunday Juice Group Call each Sunday at 12:00 noon PST for 5 Sundays during the Summer 2010 Juice Feast

+ Personal insight into David Rainoshek’s current work on The Spectrum of Diet and Integral Life Practices

+ Integrate Juice Feasting and Contemplative Work

+ Coached Juice Feast-Closing with Green Smoothies.

+ Coached insight on a sustainable cuisine, placing your Center of Gravity on Raw/Living Plant-Based foods and Superfoods.

SO GO CHECK IT OUT HERE!

Have a great week

With peaceful steps,

David Rainoshek, MA

www.JuiceFeasting.com

nutrientdense@gmail.com

David Rainoshek's Cooling Summer Juice (www.JuiceFeasting.com) Make 1 to 1.5 quarts of juice with:
Watermelon
Blueberries
Celery
Cucumber
Lemon
It sounds simple, but it is divine!

For our family Mid-Summer Update, go HERE!

House of Honey, or The "No Agave Here" House

Ohhh Sweet Honey! (honey at Cafe Bliss)

Something that my intuition and my body has always told me is now being confirmed by some of the very people who worked so hard to bring agave to the mainstream: agave is the worst “bandito” of all sweeteners!

I bought one bottle of agave about 4 years ago after seeing pictures on David Wolfe's site of a beautiful young woman pouring it down her throat, straight out of the bottle! I thought, wow, a sweetener that is so good for you that you can drink it like water!?

I tried it, I didn't like it at all. It tasted like corn syrup to me, and made me feel awful. So I went back to what I have always used and loved, honey. Over the years since then, I have had many opportunities to enjoy raw treats made with agave. While I do enjoy them in my mouth, everything after that point is a mess. Or should I say, I am a mess! Katrina + agave = basket-case. I feel edgy, anxious, hungry, grumpy, and all those unpleasant things that go along with blood sugar imbalance. So I do my best to avoid the stuff.

If you are still using agave in your household, please read the following articles and then go and pour it down the drain!

The Agave Blues by David Wolfe

This "Tequila" Sweetener is Far Worse than High Fructose Corn Syrup by Dr. Mercola

Agave Nectar, the High Fructose Health Food Fraud on Natural News

So, that brings me back to honey! I felt inspired to write a little ode to honey..... Honey is magical. Bees are magical. Flowers are magical. Eating honey makes me feel magical.

In Organic Farming and Beekeeping, it becomes a partnership between bee and honey farmer. The symbiosis is beautiful, and as a honey eater I feel tapped into a beautiful, life affirming circle. And, honey is LOCAL! We get our honey from Babe's Honey Farm, and it is beautiful, and it gives me a pleasant, gentle buzz.

And did you know that bees will produce up to 3 times the amount that they need to survive? In ethical beekeeping practices, both the bees and the honey eaters benefit.

I love visiting honey farms and listening to the hum of the bees. See if you can find a honey farm near you and start to visit whenever you need a little sweetness.

Honey is expensive (at least compared to conventional sugar) but in my mind this is a good thing. It just means we use less of it and are more careful of our consumption. When it comes to sweetener, a little mindfulness is a very good idea! It also means we are paying the honey farmer a living wage rather than paying pennies for sugar grown by people living in abject poverty in countries miles and miles away.

Of course there are other alternatives to sweeten you treats, and honey may not be the one for you. If you are working with blood-sugar issues such as diabetes or candida, you will want to be even more aware of your sweetener choices. The above articles do a good job at listing out other sweeties to choose from.

In closing, if you needed another reason to start buying organic, this might be it. Saving the Honey Bee Through Organic Farming.

I'd love to hear your experiences with agave, and what your household's sweetener of choice is!